Integrated circuit (IC) package technology plays an important role in the electronics industry. As light weight, compactness, and high efficiency have become typical requirements of consumer electronic and communication products, chip packages should provide superior electrical properties, small overall volume, and a large number of I/O ports. Substrates used in these chip packages often have multiple metal layers that can be electrically connected using traces and/or vias. As the size of chip packages decreases, these traces and vias for connecting the multiple metal layers can become smaller and more closely spaced, which can increase the cost and complexity of integrated circuit packaging processes. It is therefore desirable to develop a substrate that has a thin profile, that is manufactured by a less complex process, that is suitable for mass production, and that can be produced with high production yield. It is also desirable to develop corresponding packages including the substrate, and manufacturing methods of the substrate and of the corresponding packages.